Merry-go-round.



W. JUHNSDN.

MEBRY-GU-RDUND.

(Application led Dec. 2S, 1899.)

Patented Apr. 24,y |900.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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Az. A TroH/VE ys Patented Apr.v 24, i900.

w. Jameson. MERRY-GO-ROUND.

(Application 'med nec. ses,` 1899.)

HHHIIHH l IIIIII HHHlllHl-H W/TNESSES No. 648,266. Patented Apr. 24, |900.

W. JOHNSON.

MERBY-GO-RDUND;

(Application-filed Dec. 2B, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

lNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM JOHNSON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 648,266, dated April 24, 1900.

Application filed December 28, 1899. Serial No. 741,836. (No model.)

.T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, (Coney Island,) borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings4 and State of New York, haveinvented a new and-Improved Merry-Go-Round, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

One object of the invention is to so improve that form of merry-go-round which employs crank-arms as supports for seats that as the shafts carrying the crank-arms revolve the crank-arms will descend as regularly as they ascend, thus avoiding the quick return usual to this form of the machine and the discomfort consequent on such motion to the person carried by the machine.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the gear and crank-shafts that all unnecessary strain will be taken off from the track upon which the gearing for the crankshafts travels.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a merry-go-round, illustrating the application of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the central portion of the structure shown in Fig.' l,drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is avertical section through the upper central portion of the merry-go-round, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the upper central portion of the structure of the merry-go-round, illustrating slight deviations from the construction shown in the other views.

A represents a post of any description, and B a pin-Wheel or lantern-Wheel mounted to turn on the post A; but these parts constitute no portion of my invention. Brackets C are secured to the post above the pin-Wheel or lantern-wheel, to which brackets a ring platform 12 is securely fastened, having more or less of a downward and outward pitch, as Shown in Fig. 3. The said ring platform is o provided with a oironiar' toothed n-aok 13,

formed upon its upper face at its periphery, together With a plain track 13 inside of and quite close to the toothed track 13, as is also shown in Fig. 3. A circular frame D is mounted to travel freely around the post and is located between the brackets O and the pinwheel or lantern-wheel B and is connected with the latter through the medium of a series of bolts 14C. This Wheel B is adapted to turn the frame D, and said wheel is revolved through the medium of a gear 10, engaging therewith and carried by a shaft 11, or by other suitable means.

Arms 15 are secured to the frame D and radiate therefrom, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5. The arms are of any desired length and are connected by suitable braces 16, as shown especiall yin Fig. 1. on the braces 16 horizontal crank-shafts 17 are journaled, the inner ends of said crankshafts being held to turn in suitable bearings 1S, secured upon the arms 15, which are secured to the frame D. The bearings are preferably attached to the arms 15 through the medium of a ring-like support 19. (Shown in Fig. 3.) At suitable intervals between the center of each shaft 17 and its outer end crank-arms 18 are formed, from which the horses or other objects adapted to seat riders are suspended, and a single crank-arm 18b is at the outer end of each crank-shaft and is adapted for the same purpose as the intermediate crank-arms 18a.

The crank-shafts 17 are usually geared t0- gether in pairs, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

At the inner end of each pair of crank-shafts a pinion 2O is secured, which pinions are spaced from the toothed track 13, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, but are connected by intermediate pinions 21, and said intermediate pinions are secured upon short shafts 22, the said shafts being journaled in suitable bearings 23, located on the ring-like support 19 and between the crank-shafts. Thus it will be observed that the pinions of eachpair or set of shafts are connected by an intervening pinion and that the shafts 17 will becompelled to move regularly throughout theentire revolution of the crank-arms, rendering it impossible for any sudden dropping motion to be communicated to any objects supported Between the arms IOO upon the crank-shafts. The shafts 17 of each pair are driven by a bevel-pinion 24E, secured to one of the shafts 17 and arranged to travel upon the toothed track 13, and these pinions carry each a friction-roller 25, which travels upon the plain track 13a.

It will be observed that each set-of two crank-arms is provided with a train of three gears and asin gle driving-gear carried by one of the arms of a set. By the foregoing arrangement of parts the entire structure is rendered much more durable, simpler, and more economic than heretofore, and the said system of gearing not only prevents undue wear upon the track, but also of the gears themselves, and likewise enables a crankmachine to impart to the objects supported upon its crank-arms aA uniform and regular vertical movement.

Under the construction shown in Fig. 4 a short shaft 26 is journaled in suitable bearings 27 between each set of two crank-arms, the bearings 27 being secured upon the ringlikey support 19, and each of the additional shafts 26 carries a pinion 28, which pinions mesh with the adjoining pinions on the crank- -arms, so that there is virtually a continuous chain of pinions or gearing around the entire' circular upper frame of the machine.

In the construction shown in Fig. -'the auxiliary outer. pinions 28 of the chain of gearing are preserved; but in addition each crank-shaft 17 at its inner end is provided with a pinion 24a, adapted to travel on the toothed track, connecting-gears meshing with the gears on ythe crank-shafts, driving pinions secured to the inner ends of sundry of the shafts, which pinions mesh with the teeth of the toothed track and support the revoluble frame and serve as drivers for'theshafts.

2. In a merrygo-round or carousel, the

combination, with a stationarytoothed track, of a shaft arranged to revolve around the with the gears on the main shafts of a set,

va i 648,266

'and a pinion carried by one of the main shafts ofa set, which pinion engages with the said toothed track, the pinions of the various sets of shafts acting to support the revolving frame and to communicate motion to the connecting-gears.

3. In a merry go round 0r carousel, the combination, witha stationary toothed track, a plain stationary track adjacent thereto, and

a revoluble frame, of shafts carried by the said frame and arranged in sets, each shaft of a set being provided with a gear out of engagement with the tracks, a shaft intermediate of the main shafts, a connectinggear on the intermediate shaft in mesh withvthe gears on the main shaft, and a pinion located on the inner end of one of the main shafts and engaging with the toothed track, and a friction-roller carried by the said pinion and engaging with the plain track, as described.

4. In a merryg'oround or carousel, the combination, with astationary toothed track, a frame mounted to revolve around the said track, and means for turning the said frame, of crank-shafts journaled upon the frame, having gear connection with the toothed track, which gears serve as. supports for the revolving frame, and gears secured to the crank-shafts over the'frame upon which they are mounted and independent of the toothed track, plain shafts locatedl between the crankshafts, and connecting-gears carried by the plain shafts and meshing with the gears on the crank-shafts, as described.

5. A merry-go-round or carousel provided with crank-carrying shafts, the crank-carrying shafts being arranged in sets of two outside crank-shafts and an intermediate communicating shaft, the crank-shafts being provided with gears and the communicating shafts with connecting-gears, a revoluble frame upon which the shafts are mounted, a stationary toothed track and a stationary plain track, and pinions carried by sundry of the crank-shafts, and meshing with the teeth of the toothed track, and rollers carried by the said pinions and engaging with the lplain track, the pinions and rollers serving las supports for the revolving frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of `two subscribing witnesses. track, crank-shafts carried by the said frame and arranged in sets, each shaft of a set being provided with a gear, an intermediate shaft also provided with a gear and engaging i WILLIAM JOHNSON.

IOO 

